Protesters Unfair Trials Sentences
Published by Ali on November 12, 2018
According to Human Rights Watch Iran’s judiciary convicted at least 24 protesters on vaguely defined national security charges. Their prison sentences ranged from six months to six years.
They were charged with “assembly and collusion against national security” due to “participating in a protest without a permit that disrupted public order.” In the sentencing of at least two people, including Saba Kordafshari, 19, the evidence prosecutors presented was solely their social media posts reporting on the protest.
It should be mentioned that, during a protest in Tehran objecting deteriorating economic conditions and corruption, more than 50 protesters were arrested, on 2 August this year. Following that, the authorities also arrested a human rights lawyer who had been convicted to three years in prison for reporting a protester’s death in detention centre, on October 28.
Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, in this regard said: “Iranian government officials repeatedly advertise to the world that the repeated protests in the country signal that there are real freedoms in Iran, while these same protestors languish in prison for years,” he added: “Prosecuting peaceful protesters will only add fuel to Iranians’ boiling frustration and discontent with the situation.”
